Mandatory Fees to Park at Disney World Resorts as of March 21, 2018

If you want to stay as a registered guest at a resort property at Walt Disney World in Florida without having to pay as much as $24.00 in parking fees per night, you need to book your reservations prior to Wednesday, March 21, 2018, which is the day when the fees for standard overnight self-parking will be in effect to guests with every reservation booked on that day and thereafter.

Members of Disney Vacation Club when staying at a Disney Vacation Club Deluxe Villa — regardless of whether they use vacation points or another form of payment — and members also will not be charged to park their vehicles when using vacation points to stay at a Walt Disney World Resort property

Guests with disabilities who park their vehicles in designated parking areas which are available throughout Walt Disney World Resort; and the vehicles are required to have a valid disability parking permit

Valet Parking

Valet parking is available at select Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villas for $33.00 per night — which includes applicable sales tax.

Summary

“At first, I thought these fees weren’t that bad”, Edward Pizzarello of Pizza In Motion wrote in this article. “Then, I started thinking about a typical week-long family vacation. At a moderate resort, that’s an extra $150 out of your pocket. We rarely rent a car when we stay at Disney World. Those trips have typically been very focused on the parks themselves. The Disney World transportation system is such that you’re unlikely to need a car, especially with key upcoming changes like the gondola system. Fold in services like the renowned Minnie Vans, and you’ll find plenty of reasons to leave the rental car behind.”

Walt Disney World is not considered a Mickey Mouse operation; but I believe that charging parking fees for guests at resort properties is a Dumbo move. Some guests might feel Goofy about paying for skyrocketing prices — which increased significantly last month for single-day tickets, multiple-day tickets and annual pass holders, according to this article written by Amanda Kondolojy of Theme Park Tourist — as well as fees which seem to go all the way to Pluto.

3 thoughts on “Mandatory Fees to Park at Disney World Resorts as of March 21, 2018”

The magic of Disney is making your money disappear.
Sad that their theme parks have gone from expensive but quality; to mostly outdated (with some good but limited new additions), and only appealing to the wealthy. It’s become completely out of touch even for the middle class.

Unlike hotel and resort properties in Las Vegas, Walt Disney World is apparently betting that parents cannot say “no” to their children who want to go to the happiest place on earth — or perhaps defer the trip until they can afford it…